Exploring the Tide Pools of Beach 4

Wednesday

Jul 5, 2017 at 12:01 AMJul 5, 2017 at 3:57 PM

Dawny G

We leave the world's largest spruce behind and move on to finish the coastal forest loop, and then stop for lunch at the Kalaloch (pronounced 'Claylock') Lodge. Our guides are timing the end of our break to coincide with low tide at Beach 4, so we can take a coastal walk to Ruby Beach.

Olympic National Park conserves a sixty-five mile stretch of undeveloped Pacific coastline, some sections with names like 'Ruby Beach'... and then there are Beaches 1, 2, 3, and 4. Just hearing 'Beach 4' makes me want to rename it. (More about that later)

The receding seawater exposes tide pools that form when rocky surroundings create 'holes' that retain water. The pools are home to a wide range of life: starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, barnacles, anemones, and more.

To start our beach walk, we clamber down a reasonable looking trail .reasonable until we get to the end. The strong and fleet of foot are on the left, and the descent is so steep and demands such large steps that I can't do it without considerable help. Meanwhile, on the other side of the same rock mini-cliff, some women are coming up saying 'this side is easier.' Too late for me now....

As we walk the beach, we can see Destruction Island in the distance. The half-mile long, 300-foot wide island earned its name by contributing to the violent history of the area's early explorers. More than once in the late 18th century, an explorer vessel would anchor at the island and send crew members ashore--only to have the natives protect their home by massacring the intruders.Destruction Island If you look closely you can see a tiny white speck near the left of the island in this photo-- that is the lighthouse built in the late 19th century.

Early in the beach walk we stop to investigate tide pools harboring sea anemone and many starfish. Unfortunately I can't negotiate the rocks, keep my balance, and manage my camera all at one time, so I do not get many good photos of the tide pools. There is this one good starfish shot....Starfish in Tide PoolI learn that starfish have no front or back: they can go in any direction without turning. They move, not by using muscles but by moving hundreds of tiny legs, with 'tube feet' that use hydraulic power to cling to rocks. Basically, the starfish takes in fluid from a valve on the top of its body, transfers the water to its legs applying force that enables motion. Until I learn this from our guides, I have never thought about how a starfish moved.

Those same hydraulic feet are what starfish use to get at their food. They search for mollusks, sensing chemicals that the prey release. The starfish-hunter then uses those suction cups to latch onto the shell and pull, forcing the shell open.

More interesting starfish factoids. Starfish can re-grow limbs. And they can change color and to camouflage themselves.

Besides tide pools and Destruction Island, the walk on the beach is truly beautiful. At one point, we see a whale spout (Whales surface to breathe and their exhalations create a spout of moist, warm air from blowholes on the top of their heads.) Pelicans and seagulls draw our attention.

Unfortunately, I'm so worried about keeping up*, especially before the tide comes back in, that I don't take many pictures. For a better idea of what you can see on Beach 4, please visit https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/washington/beaches/kalaloch-beach-4https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/washington/beaches/kalaloch-beach-4¨# # #*I've said this more than once. For readers who do not know me...I am short. I'd like to say 'petite', but I am short. And I am not as mobile or agile as I once was.